CHAPTER 408: CHAPTER 407: INHERITED WILL

"Ugh..."

Jaden shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the duel. As the darkness faded, he looked up in shock.

For a moment, the Arbiter had vanished, replaced by a humanoid monster: odd-colored eyes, wide bone wings, a third eye on its forehead, watching him with a mix of resentment and excitement.

Jaden recoiled, but in a blink, the figure disappeared, and the Arbiter was back.

"I haven’t used my normal summon this turn. I set a monster in face-down defense position and end my turn."

The Arbiter casually set a monster, then looked at Jaden with an amused expression.

"What did you see, Jaden Yuki?"

"...Draw."

Jaden ignored him.

But his mind was a mess—those chaotic, seemingly foreign memories filled his thoughts. The fleeting image lingered, impossible to shake.

"Kuri kuri!"

Winged Kuriboh’s voice.

"Partner." Jaden glanced at it, smiled, "You’re cheering for me too? Thanks."

He straightened up and set another card.

"I set a monster in defense and end my turn."

A set monster appeared on his field too.

"Hm... deeply buried memories indeed," the Arbiter said. "Maybe just a bit more. My turn, draw."

He flipped his set monster.

"Flip Summon ’Magical Merchant’."

[Magical Merchant, ATK 200]

"When this card is flip summoned, I reveal cards from the top of my deck until I reveal a Spell or Trap. That card goes to my hand, the rest to the graveyard."

He revealed five cards; the fifth was a Spell.

"I add ’Monster Reborn’ to my hand, and the rest go to the grave."

Jaden: "So you’re filling your grave with DARK monsters again..."

"Then I tribute ’Magical Merchant’ to Tribute Summon."

He revealed another card.

"Appear—Helpoemer."

[Helpoemer, ATK 2000]

"Next, I activate ’Monster Reborn’ to revive a monster from the graveyard." He gestured at Jaden, "I choose your beloved hero...

Elemental HERO Flame Wingman!"

In the real card game, Flame Wingman can’t be revived from the graveyard, but there’s no such restriction in the anime. The Reborn symbol appeared above the Arbiter, flames swirling into the form of Flame Wingman, now on the Arbiter’s side.

[Elemental HERO Flame Wingman, ATK 2100]

"Flame Wingman..." Jaden muttered.

Mokuba was nervous: "Brother, this guy’s built an insanely strong field again, and there’s still that Dark Armed Dragon..."

Kaiba frowned, silent.

Was this as far as Jaden would go?

"Dark Armed Dragon’s effect: banish a DARK from the graveyard to destroy any card on the field."

The Arbiter revealed a DARK monster from the graveyard.

"’Magical Merchant’ replenished my grave with DARKs. I banish one to destroy your set monster."

A black blast targeted Jaden’s last line of defense. If this monster was destroyed, he’d be left wide open.

Boom!

The explosion tore through the set monster, but its image briefly flickered.

"Kuri kuri!"

"Thanks, partner."

Jaden raised his arm; a transparent shield appeared before him, like a force field.

"When Winged Kuriboh is destroyed, I take no battle damage this turn," Jaden said.

Arbiter: "I see. Then I set a card and end my turn."

Jaden took a deep breath.

His vision blurred, his mind sluggish. He was starting to believe the Arbiter wasn’t just bluffing.

The Arbiter’s words were probably true. Jaden’s memories had gaps, he was hiding secrets even from himself—he’d forgotten something important.

But—

He looked up, recalling the towering figure of Koyo Hikibi.

"From now on... it’s up to you, Jaden."

"."

Yes, he’d made up his mind to inherit Koyo’s will, to fight as a true duelist.

He couldn’t give up now.

"My turn, draw!"

"Oh?" the Arbiter observed him.

His confidence seemed back; his eyes were steadier.

"I summon ’Elemental HERO Bubbleman’!"

[Elemental HERO Bubbleman, ATK 800]

"When Bubbleman is summoned while I control no other cards, I draw two cards!" (anime effect)

Jaden drew two cards.

"Next, I activate ’Pot of Greed’ to draw two more!"

It looked like Jaden was regaining his touch—Bubbleman and Pot of Greed in quick succession.

He stared at one card in his hand, then closed his eyes.

"I won’t let you down, Mr. Koyo."

He opened his eyes, raising the card.

"I activate ’Polymerization’! I fuse ’Elemental HERO Woodsman’ from my hand with the WATER ’Elemental HERO Bubbleman’ on my field! Bring forth the power to freeze all things—

—Elemental HERO Absolute Zero!"

Snow swirled, ice crystals burst, and the pure white hero landed with folded arms!

[Elemental HERO Absolute Zero, ATK 2500]

"There it is—Mr. Hibiki’s hero!" Mokuba said.

Zane frowned. "It feels... a little different."

He sensed that the Absolute Zero Jaden summoned was different from the one Koyo had summoned.

But that was a difference on a spiritual level—felt stronger, but hard to pin down.

"Then I activate ’Fusion Recovery’ to return ’Polymerization’ and ’Elemental HERO Woodsman’ from my graveyard to my hand."

Jaden retrieved the two cards and played once more.

"I activate ’Polymerization’ again! This time, I fuse ’Elemental HERO Woodsman’ and ’Elemental HERO Ocean’ from my hand!"

Everyone was surprised.

A second Fusion?

"Fusion Summon, Mr. Koyo’s soul, a Hero of the Planets series—

—Elemental HERO Terra Firma!"

PS: Bonus Chapter at 500 PS